


Alabama, Arkansas

by rowofstars



Series: 31 Days of Fandomas 2019 [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 31 Days of Fandomas 2019, Christmas, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Young Baelfire | Neal Cassidy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:38:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21665434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa, not that way that I do love you.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: 31 Days of Fandomas 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561927
Comments: 25
Kudos: 41





	Alabama, Arkansas

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros which I heard on my drive to work today and got inspired. For the 31 Days prompt #3: home.

“Come home with me.”

Gold’s voice was soft, just enough above a whisper to be heard over the din of the party. Their breath mingled between them, hot and smelling faintly of hot cocoa. Belle licked her lips, smiling as his gaze was drawn to the small movement.

“Yeah?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting. She’d been in his home exactly once, despite the fact that they’d seen each other naked more than a dozen times, but all of those had been in her small apartment.

“Yes,” he replied, pressing her back against the wall. “I want you in my bed. I want to make you scream and then make you breakfast in the morning.”

She swallowed. “What about - about Neal?”

The mention of his son’s name made him smile. “He’s staying the night at a friend’s house, won’t be home till morning.”

Gold’s hand started to slide up under her skirt, his warm palm spanning her thigh and drawing her leg up to his waist. A tiny whimper slipped out as she pulled him back down for another kiss, her fingers sliding into his newly shorn hair. He said he’d needed a change, something fresh, something different, but she wasn’t sure the change he was ready for was for their relationship to be out in the open. But like hell if he was taking her back to his place that she was doing the walk of shame at six in the morning just so his ten year old son wouldn’t see that she was there.

Belle pulled back, breaking the kiss, and panted for breath. “What about - in - in the morning?”

Gold’s tongue pushed at his bottom lip and his hand flexed where it held her thigh as he grinned. “I’ll make enough pancakes for all of us.”

* * *

“I’m home!”

Gold winced as the bundle of plastic bags banged against his leg in his efforts to shut the front door.

“In the kitchen!” called Belle.

He maneuvered the bags to his other hand as he wriggled out of his overcoat, and then hurried down the hall. His shoes squeaked against the tile floor as he came to a halt in the doorway, his eyes going wide at the sight before him. The entire island, end to end, was covered in all manner of debris, and in the center was a towering structure oozing something red and slimy.

“We made a volcano!” Neal exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. “It’s for the science fair at school.”

Belle bit her lip and mouthed ‘sorry’ at Gold, her expression almost pained. Gold looked down at the bags he’d carried in, containing all the things he thought he might need to make something that resembled the volcano his son had requested as his project for the science fair, and shook his head. He had no actual idea how to make it, but he did know how to find instructions on the internet, and he was fairly certain he pull of something that at least bubbled over respectably.

What had taken over half of his kitchen was something else entirely, and was on the whole very impressive. He should have known that Belle was far better equipped to help him construct such a thing. He’d take her brain over the internet any day.

“Well, I can see I’m surplus to requirements,” he said, his mouth curving.

“I’m sorry,” Belle replied, coming around the island to stand next to him. “He asked and I saw we had all the right stuff, and I might have...”

“Done a fantastic job.”

She startled a bit and looked up at Gold. “I was going to say carried away, but thank you.”

He smiled at her. “No, it’s absolutely amazing. You’re amazing.”

“Yeah, she is,” Neal said, moving next to Belle and wrapping his arms around her to pull her into a sideways hug.

She put one arm around him, squeezing him back before ruffling his hair, and Gold felt his heart swell. Then his eyes scanned the slope of the mountain, trailing down the ragged border of the volcanic caldera, which he assumed to be made of paper mache or some such, and then stopped at the edge of the butcher block counter. Three rows of ten or more small figures were scattered around the bottom of the mountain as the red sludge slipped downward towards them.

“What are those?” he asked tentatively.

“Lego men...?” offered Belle hesitantly.

Neal grinned at both of them. “Those are the villagers fleeing from the lava!”

* * *

“When are you coming home?”

Belle sighed heavily on the other end of the call. “We talked about this. I’m not.”

Gold’s eyes closed as his hand squeezed the handle of his cane. “Belle, please -”

“_Don’t,_” she interrupted, fighting to keep the tremble out of her voice. “Just don’t. I’m tired and I can’t do this anymore.”

“But I - I love you.” 

His body shook as the first tears fell, his legs wobbling and threatening to send him to the floor of his shop. He knew it was too little too late. The damage had been done, and he deserved nothing less than her censure and derision. Leaving was the best thing for her, and all he could hope was that she found happiness wherever she went. Telling Neal that she was gone was something he couldn’t even contemplate at the moment, but he vowed to make sure that the boy would put no blame on her.

“I know.” 

Her voice was so soft he almost didn’t hear it, and then the call ended.

* * *

“Let’s go home.”

“Home?” Gold asked, unable to restrain the hope in his voice.

Belle nodded, her eyes tearing over as she pushed up on her toes, throwing her arms around his neck. He hauled her against him, his hands holding her as close as possible as he buried his face in her soft hair and kissed the side of her neck. Her fingers trailed through his hair, a little longer now than when she left, as her other hand squeezed him tighter.

They separated after another minute, and Gold shook his head. “Why did you come back?”

“Because this is where I belong.” She smiled, her head tilting to the side. “And because I love you.”

A chilly wind stirred her skirt where it stuck out beneath her wool coat a second before his lips met hers. There was a whoop and a whistle from somewhere nearby, but neither of them cared that they were being seen by everyone passing by the bus stop on Main Street.

“Belle!”

The voice made them break apart, and Belle finally let her tears fall as Neal came bounding towards her.

“You’re home!”

She wrapped her arms around the boy and kissed the side of his head, noting that she barely needed to bend anymore to hug him properly.

“Yes,” she said, looking over Neal’s shoulder at Gold, and holding out her hand to pull him into a hug as well. “Yes, and I’m never leaving again.”

* * *

_I’m home. Is it safe?_

Belle smiled at her phone and tapped out a reply before she peaked through the front curtains.

_They’re asleep. Coast is clear._

Gold eased the front door open and kicked the snow from his shoes against the mat as quietly as he could. Belle came down the hallway, reaching out for the packages that filled his hands. She hefted them up on her arms and then went through into the living room.

“How long did it take?” he asked quietly, shrugging off his coat and then following after her.

The fire cracked and snapped, and Gold shivered as the heat hit him.

“Two rounds of Green Eggs and Ham,” she replied, bending down to the floor. “I waited an extra ten minutes before I texted you.”

He nodded and moved to help her, slipping the wrapped presents out of the bags and stacking them beneath the twelve foot tall Christmas tree. The entire room was bathed in a soft, warm glow while outside the snow was falling in fat, heavy flakes. The drive from the shop, where they’d stashed the presents, back home had been less than ideal, but it was the only place they’d could think to keep them with a pair of inquisitive twins around the house. They’d recently figured out how to work doorknobs and their favorite activity was taking turns shutting themselves in the upstairs linen closet.

“There,” Belle said sitting back. “Think we overdid it?”

Gold eyed the pile of presents, some of which were for Neal and his girlfriend Emma, and one in particular that was for Belle, though she didn’t know it yet. “For a family of ten, no.”

She giggled at that and swatted at his arm. He caught her hand and pulled her into him, making them both topple over onto the rug in front of the fire. A soft grunt escaped him, which a moment later turned into a low rumble as his wife pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips.

“Merry Christmas, _Mr._ Gold,” Belle said slipped off her robe to reveal dark green lace and silk. 

He licked his lips and reached for the thin little straps at her shoulders. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Gold.”


End file.
